eThekwini Municipality under fire for failing to combat illegal electricity connections

The eThekwini Municipality Energy Directorate initiated the removal of unlawful electrical infrastructure outside a hijacked building in the Warwick Avenue Triangle in Durban. The DA in eThekwini is outraged by the municipality’s continued failure to deal with rampantillegal electricityconnections, sabotage, vandalism, and theft of municipal infrastructure. Haniff Hoosen, DA eThekwini mayoral candidate, said these crimes are crippling service delivery and punishing law‑abiding residents.

Hoosen was speaking after the Durban metro police and the SAPS raided a hijacked building at44 Lancers Roadin theWarwick AvenueTriangle on Monday. He saidillegal connections, particularly in hijacked and unlawfully occupied buildings, have become a symbol of the municipality’s collapse. “Instead of decisive enforcement, blame continues to be shifted between departments.

The eThekwini electricity unit points to town planning, town planning refers it to Human Settlements, and Human Settlements shrugs at law enforcement. This lack of coordination allows illegal electricity connections to persist for years at the expense of law-abiding ratepayers.” Hoosen added that residents who pay for their electricity are effectively subsidising those who steal it.